Category: Congress

Now that the shutdown is over (for now), it’s time for Congress to get to governing. Unfortunately, lawmakers seem to prefer red herrings and faux populist outrage to tackling the most pressing issues of the day. Case in point: H.R. 1, otherwise known as “For The People Act.” Introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), this political “reform” legislation uses the boogeymen of “dark money” and foreign influence to curtail First Amendment protections and eviscerate donor privacy. Instead of misguided restrictions on cherished freedoms, Congress should move toward genuine campaign finance reforms that allow parties to hold interest groups in check.

Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) released a series of issue briefs for the 116th Congress titled Roadmap to Fiscal Sanity. The publication offers a comprehensive blueprint of common sense reforms that would reign in the debt and unleash market forces throughout the economy. » Read More

This morning, TPA sent a letter to Members of Congress regarding an issue with the upcoming spending bill. According to an article in The Washington Post on December 7, 2018, “Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is getting help from District officials, congressional Republicans and the Trump administration as he tries to clear a major roadblock to building a new, 60,000-seat stadium on the site of RFK Stadium.” TPA urges every Member to vote against a spending bill that contains this provision. » Read More

This article originally appeared in The American Spectator on November 26, 2018.

As leaders in Congress hammer down the details of the Farm Bill, they should use the Senate’s plan for rural broadband deployment that provides better safeguards against taxpayer waste. Farm Futures reports that negotiators in the House and Senate hope to finalize a framework for the bill so Congress can take up the expired Farm Bill during the lame-duck session before the end of the year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) President David Williams made the following statement in response to last night’s election outcomes: “TPA congratulates all new members of Congress and lawmakers who were re-elected. The American public has spoken and now it’s time for Congress to listen.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amidst news of the passing of Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) praised the lawmaker and his outstanding legacy. The senator, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor last year, succumbed to his illness on Saturday. TPA president David Williams commended Sen. McCain: “Sen. McCain spent years of hard work defending taxpayers across the country against wasteful spending and a corrupt earmarking process. Sen. McCain often waged a lonely battle, fighting against profligate programs supported even by his fellow Republican lawmakers. Colleagues recall a senator unafraid to loudly voice his opposition to wasteful spending, while still embracing the civility sorely lacking in today’s political climate.”

This article originally appeared in the Daily Caller on August 3, 2018.

It’s easy to groan about ever-shrinking airline seats that have little latitude for reclining. Some are taking it a step further, arguing that smaller seats 30,000 feet in the air actually harm passengers’ health and impede emergency evacuation efforts. With Congress considering reregulating airplane seat sizes via the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), consumers may soon see a change in width and legroom. This misguided crusade for “passengers’ rights,” however, ignores the right and ability of passengers to choose from a smorgasbord of seat size and pricing options. For the loyal consumers of low-cost carriers, the bargain fares made possible by bargain seating are preferable to more luxurious options. By keeping regulation off the table, Congress and the FAA can keep travel prices low for millions of Americans desperate for a summer vacation by not meddling in the size of seats.

On June 7, 2018, TPA President David Williams wrote to Congress urging the passage of the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, H.R. 3. This would remove $15.4 billion in unnecessary funding to programs that, in previous years, have remained dormant in the budgeting process. You can find the full letter here. » Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) called on the Puerto Rico Oversight Board to postpone the vote on the Puerto Rico Energy and Power Authority (PREPA) revised Fiscal Plan given recent revelations of Board Member Ana Matosantos’s significant conflicts of interest and efforts to hide implicating evidence. » Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) criticized Congress for shutting down the government by failing to pass spending bills on time. The resulting federal shutdown is entering its third day, with no resolution in sight. TPA President David Williams criticized the current impasse, noting that, “short-term financing resolutions makes for short-sighted maneuvering by members of Congress. Lawmakers should be held accountable for putting unrelated demands in funding bills without allowing enough time for debate and compromise."

This article originally appeared in The American Conservative on January 15, 2018

Solutions to Congress’s unprecedented partisan gridlock are a dime a dozen these days. Recently, pundits have lined up to defend the idea, touted by the president and congressional leadership, of resurrecting earmarks as a way to foster legislative compromise. Prominent blogger and Bloomberg View columnist Tyler Cowen provides an interesting conservatarian take on why the earmark ban has harmed the functioning of government and the advancement of free-market policy.

This article originally appeared in The Daily Caller on January 17, 2018

With tax reform in the rearview mirror, policymakers and voters are sizing up the next big policy battles. Chief among voter concerns is the unraveling healthcare system, which regularly sees double-digit premium increases and questionable results for taxpayer funding. Americans understand that failing to reform the health-care system via the rollback of Obamacare will continue to strain the system and result in lower-quality care at a high cost. » Read More

To citizens across the country, hopes of “draining the swamp” were fulfilled with the passage of comprehensive tax reform at the end of last year. With one step forward, however, the administration and Congress may decide to take two steps back. Earlier this week, the president and congressional leaders announced their willingness to bring back the destructive process of earmarking in an attempt to smooth out disastrous budget negotiations. In a rush to ditch continuing resolutions in favor of an actual budget, key leaders would be making a deal with the devil in bringing back earmarks. While President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., are simply trying to jump-start the budget process in good faith, allowing earmarks would once again consign taxpayer dollars to a black hole of aimless funding and failed expectations.

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), representing millions of taxpayers across the country, urges the House of Representatives to vote YES for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. TPA is encouraged by the final tax reform package crafted by the conference committee. This legislation will provide comprehensive tax relief for millions of Americans. » Read More

Last week, the Department of Defense confirmed to Congress what all of Washington, DC already knew: the Pentagon is bloated. In particular, military bases have an astounding 19 percent “excess capacity.” This jives with previous yearly estimates. In fact, last years report pegged the figure at 22 percent. The Pentagon admitting that it maintains billions of dollars in wasteful structures should be a slam dunk for fiscally responsible lawmakers intent on downsizing government. But Congress on the whole rejected the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) request, even after Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) proposed a more “sensible” measure that would give Congress more control over the closure and realignment process. But counter to Congress’s posturing, the notion of taxpayers footing the bill for nearly abandoned installations is an unpopular one, and for good reason. A letter signed by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance and 44 other groups across the political spectrum reinforced the bipartisan idea of closing more bases. » Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) reacted to the passage of the fiscal year (FY) 2018 budget resolution in the House of Representatives. TPA President David Williams praised members of the House for, "demonstrating much-needed fiscal responsibility and continuing the path to tax reform. This budget resolution provides a strong foundation for comprehensive tax reform, paving the way for a reduction of $1.5 trillion in taxes over the next decade.”

Congress and the President are crafting the fiscal year 2018 budget, with promised cuts to gargantuan programs that have long out-lived their usefulness. Recently, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) signaled willingness to go beyond the standard conservative/libertarian formula of spending decreases and tax cuts. Speaker Ryan boldly suggests trying a second round of welfare reform, applying work requirements and wage incentives to programs with unchecked growth over the past few decades. Despite the high political price that lawmakers can pay for attempting to reform welfare, updating program rules and eligibility can improve living standards for the millions of Americans on the federal dole. As can be seen in the previous round of welfare reform, strengthening work incentives and allowing for state experimentation can make the very neediest better off while saving taxpayers billions. » Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) urged lawmakers in the House of Representatives to oppose HR 1215, the “Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017,” which forces a one-size-fits-all system of tort liability on states. A number of conservative organizations have already expressed their opposition to the legislation in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.). » Read More

Seemingly overnight, sending an email has become fraught with peril. Every day, we hear reports about phishing scams and malevolent viruses designed by cybercriminals and belligerent governments alike. But, unknown to many surfers of the digital domain, our own government has exploited loopholes and ambiguities in current law to snag important user information without obtaining permission in a court of law. In contrast to clear-cut Fourth Amendment prohibitions on physical property services, the law has little to say about privacy rights in the virtual space. And, vagueness in legal restraints leaves the door open for large, open-ended government investigations that squander hard-earned taxpayer money.

With Congress hurtling toward a debt ceiling increase this summer and another budget showdown in the Fall, their legislative agenda will be limited in 2017. Despite the (now normal) chaos, the Gaming Accountability and Modernization Enhancement (GAME) Act should move forward. The GAME Act puts the power of legalization and regulation of gambling in the hands of states where it belongs. With such a dysfunctional Congress and President, every opportunity to give states more autonomy should be encouraged.